Fun Home: The Coming of Age Musical
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and lyrics by Lisa Kron
Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel
Review by Mikaela Asfour
“At times my father appeared to enjoy having children,” Alison narrates, “but the real object of his affection was his house.”
As a fan of Alison Bechdel’s comics, I was pleased to see Fun Home: The Coming of Age Musical onstage in its Canadian premiere at Arts Club Theater’s Granville Island Stage in Vancouver. Fun Home, based on Bechdel’s 2006 autobiographical family tragicomic of the same title, was adapted for the stage by Lisa Kron (book and lyrics) and Jeanine Tesori (music). In its 2015 Broadway run, the show won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. A heart-rending drama balanced with wonderful moments of levity, Arts Club Theater’s production of Fun Home met my high expectations for the show.
Fun Home follows Alison (Sara-Jeanne Hosie), 43, a lesbian cartoonist, as she retraces her fraught relationship with her late father. The play weaves smoothly through Alison’s formative memories, where she is portrayed by two other actors. Small Alison (Jaime MacLean), an outspoken eight-year-old tomboy, struggles with her distant father Bruce Bechdel as he dictates how she should dress and express herself. Medium Alison (Kelli Ogmundson), a college freshman, realizes that she is a lesbian, and puzzles over how to tell her parents—only to learn that her father (an English teacher, funeral director, and house restorer) is a closeted homosexual, mere months before his abrupt death.
Lisa Kron’s lyrics are fresh and brimming with powerful imagery. She also writes witty and naturalistic dialogue. Alison dissects her family life meticulously and with wry humour, straining for an objectivity that she acknowledges might be unattainable. Fun Home the musical embraces awkwardness in an endearing and relatable fashion. One of the most tense and electrifying moments in the play involves Alison and her father lapsing into silence during a car ride together. The story poses a question many of us can relate to: how do we reveal our authentic selves when we fear we will not be accepted?
The director, Lois Anderson, has assembled a talented cast. Child actors Jaime MacLean, Glen Gordon, and Nolen Dubuc brought a delightful energy to their show-stopping performance of the Jackson 5-inspired “Come To The Fun Home.” Eric Craig shows great emotional range as the tightly wound Bruce Bechdel, whose outbursts of rage make his rare moments of tenderness all the more poignant. I found myself tearing up during Sara-Jeanne Hosie’s key scenes, as well as Janet Gigliotti’s powerful rendition of “Days and Days.”
I can’t overemphasize how catchy Jeanine Tesori’s melodies are. Part of “Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue” is sung in rounds—a gorgeous example of how the Bechdel children (literally) take after their parents in tending to the house. A recurring motif, with strings and reeds parroting a musical phrase, evokes a conversation between parent and child— the kind of “I hear you” affirmation that Alison yearns for, both before and after her father’s passing. Throughout the show, the music deftly mirrors the characters’ tensions, whether through mechanical études on the piano, or gliding strings during a character’s emotional breakdown.
Amir Ofek’s spacious set, with its ornate Victorian-era décor, captures the artifice and museum-like quality of the Bechdel household. The contrast between the period décor and the family’s ‘70s and ‘80s era clothing creates visual interest. Through the clever use of translucent, floral wallpapered walls, we can at times catch startling glimpses of the parents fighting. The set’s otherwise open space reflects the theme of open secrets. Alan Brodie’s lighting cues, coupled with props, were helpful in indicating changes of scenery. I especially liked the motif of light spilling through doorways, forming a tension between the public and private space.
The play features several wonderfully choreographed numbers. Still, during one or two dialogue-heavy scenes, I would have liked to see a little more movement onstage. Medium Alison’s charismatic love interest, Joan, who served as a supporting character, could perhaps have been given a more complete story arc. And since Alison’s illustrations are heavily referenced in the narrative framework, I would also have liked to see visual depictions of her artwork as she creates it. Nevertheless, these aspects didn’t detract from the overall experience.
Fun Home is a touching and life-affirming LGBTQ+ narrative created by brilliant women. Its themes of love, loss, and legacy are far-reaching. If you are looking to see a beautiful, cathartic family drama with charming performances, I wholeheartedly recommend this show.
Fun Home: The Coming of Age Musical is now playing at the Granville Island Stage until March 10, 2018. The show runs for 100 minutes with no intermission.
Mikaela Asfour is a recent graduate the UBC Creative Writing MFA program. She writes in multiple genres, including screen, television, and theater.